Adjustable ladder attachment



Jan. 18, 1949. E. KREISSLER ETAL 2,

ADJUSTABLE LADDER ATTACHMENTS Filed Oct. 26, 1945 Ea rZ E.Krealrsle1; 33w andfraflciafnilifinmn,

Patented Jan. 18, 1949 2,459,437 I ADJUSTABLE LADDER. ATTACHMENT Earl E. Kreissler and Francis G. Wilkinson,

Kansas Gity, Mo.

Application October 26, 1945, Serial No. 624,698

1 Claim.

This invention relates to attachments for ladders and embodies a platform adapted to provide a broad and comfortablesupport upon which a person may stand instead of standing upon a rung of the ladder which becomes tiresome and often painful to the feet of the user owing to the limited surface presented by the rung.

A further object is to provide a device of this character which may be adjusted to maintain the platform in a level position when the inclination of the ladder is changed to a greater or A less degree.

Another object is to provide a device of this character which may be used inside or outside of a room or building by painters, paper hangers, carpenters, merchants and others and when ap plied to a store service ladder the platform may be utilized for supporting stock taken from shelves and handled at any height or examined, or to make up orders without requiring the user to descend the ladder with the goods for that purpose.

Before entering into a more specific description it is considered advisable to state that in the form of device herein disclosed a pair of adjustable legs are provided which are specially constructed so as to enable the user of the device to readily ascend to or descend from the platform, combined with a pair of arms swingably associated with the platform and which secure said legs in any of their adjusted positions to enable them to cooperate with one or more rungs of the ladder in holding the platform in a horizontal position regardless of the inclination at which the ladder is set when in use.

A further object is to provide a device of this character which is so constructed and arranged that the user can readily climb the ladder and gain access to the platform or descend the ladder without hinderance of the device.

Other objects will hereinafter appear and in order that the invention may be fully understood reference will now be had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a broken elevation of with the attachment.

Fig, 2 is a vertical section of the ladder and attachment on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a reduced perspective view of the attachment with some of the parts broken away.

In the drawing we have shown the attachment applied to a conventional form of ladder comprising a pair of side rails A spaced apart, and spaced rungs B uniting said rails.

Referring now more particularly to the attacha ladder provided ment proper, 2 designates a platform which may consist of any suitable material, sheet metal being shown in the present instance. The platform 2 is preferably of rectangular form as disclosed by Fig.3, and reinforced at its front side with a depending flange 4, and atits rear side with a downturned member 6, which latter is adapted to Y engage over one of the ladder rungs B, upon which the rear portion of the platform is adapted to rest as shown by Fig. 2.

The platform 2 is provided at its underside with pairs of fixed lugs ,8 and I0, respectively, the former being located near the flange 4, and the latter in front of the ladder rung B over the rear portion of which the member 6 is engaged to cooperate with said member 6 in preventing the platform 2 from slipping forward or backward upon the rung B. The lugs 8 are connected as by pivots I2 to a pair of depending legs I4 having forwardly bent knees I 6 near their upper portions and united by transverse rungs I8 and 20, The rung I8 unites the knees I6, and the rung 2D is spaced about midway between the rung I8 and a rung 22, which latter is fixed to the lower ends of a pair of arms 24 operably connected at their upper ends, as by pivots 26, to the lugs I0 and adapted to bear against the front portion of a ladder rung B spaced below the one upon which the rear end of the platform 2 rests. The arms 24 are spaced further apart than the legs I4, to permit compact folding of the arms and the legs against the underside of the platform 2, when the attachment is not in use.

In order that the platform '2 may be maintained in a horizontal position regardless of the inclination in which the ladder may be placed while in use, the lower end of each leg I4 is provided with a series of ratchet-like teeth 26 which are spaced one above the other as shown by Fig. 2 and any one of which is adapted to e gage over the rung 22. T

In practice, the attachment is applied to the ladder by resting the rear portion of the platform 2 upon one of the rungs B, With the member 6 engaging the rear portion of the rung as shown by Fig. 2, the arms 24 being swung forward at their lower portions to rest against the next lower rung B. The legs I4 are then raised or lowered to bring the platform 2 to a level position, where it is secured by engaging a ratchet tooth 26 of each leg over the rung 22.

When the attachment is applied to the ladder as above stated it provides a safe and substantial support for the user, who may gain easy access to the platform 2 by climbing upward on the rungs B, 22, 20 and. I8 in the order mentioned, the knees 16 of the legs placing the rung l8 forward where the user may readily step therefrom upon the platform '2 or descend therefrom. Thus it will be understood that the knees l6 and rungs I8, 20 and 22 constitute important features of the attachment. When not in use the device can be folded into compact form by disengaging the toothed portion 26 of each leg from the rung 22 and folding the legs l4 and arms 24 beneath the platform 2. The folding operation can be readily performed as there are no bolts or other extraneous parts to be removed from the device.

While we have referred to the members B as rungs it is to be understood it is our intention to construe the term throughout the description and claim as of sufficient scope to include any form of steps, such, for instance, as the flat steps usually employed on store ladders.

From the foregoin description taken in con nection with the drawing, it is evident that We have provided a ladder attachment which is convenient to handle and comprises but a few simple parts which may be manufactured and assembled at low cost, and while we have shown a preferred form of the device we reserve all rights to such changes and modifications thereof as properly fall within the scope of the invention as claimed. Having thusdescribed our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

An attachment for ladders comprising a platform adapted to rest at one end upon a rung of the ladder and provided at said end with depending means for engaging one side of the rung, lugs fixed to the underside of the platform and spaced to extend downward adjacent to the other side of the rung, arms operably connected to the lugs and extending downwardly to bear against a lower rung of the ladder, a transverse rung fixed to and uniting the lower portions of the arms, legs spaced inwardly from the arms and operably connected at their upper portions to the platform near the opposite end from the depending means and having their lower portions adjustably engaging said transverse rung, said legs having forwardly extending knees at their upper portions, a transverse rung uniting the knees, and a rung spaced intermediate the last-mentioned rung and the rung uniting the lower portions of the arms, said rungs on the arms and legs being spaced to give ready access to the platform.

EARL E. KREISSLER.

FRANCIS C. WILKINSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

' UNITED STATES PATENTS Van Alstine Feb. 13, 1906 

